Picasso
Seahorse Whisperer
Hey, Biff, some green food-coloring will help turn that goo green in no time :mrgreen:
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Biffy Breeds Tomato Clowns
- Thread starter Bifferwine
- Start date
Bifferwine
I am a girl
You know, I'm a very impatient person. At least that would make me feel better!!
I'm going to start a second bottle tonight -- transfer 1/3 of the green from the first bottle into it, add fertilizer and saltwater, and start again. I hope to get at least 5 bottles going. But it will take awhile to get it growing that quickly.
Go figure, I have a hard time growing algae, even when I try ;)
I'm going to start a second bottle tonight -- transfer 1/3 of the green from the first bottle into it, add fertilizer and saltwater, and start again. I hope to get at least 5 bottles going. But it will take awhile to get it growing that quickly.
Go figure, I have a hard time growing algae, even when I try ;)
Bifferwine
I am a girl
I started a 2nd bottle of phyto tonight:
I tweaked the dosage of the 2-part fertilizer this time. Turns out last time, my "guesstimate" was about 10 times too high! Haha! So this time I measured it with a syringe.
This stuff is growing kinda slow so far and I don't feel comfortable starting the rotifers yet -- they may eat the phyto too quickly and then they'd just starve and die.
So we'll have to see how my food supplies are going before I am able to commit to the latest batch of eggs for sure.
I tweaked the dosage of the 2-part fertilizer this time. Turns out last time, my "guesstimate" was about 10 times too high! Haha! So this time I measured it with a syringe.
This stuff is growing kinda slow so far and I don't feel comfortable starting the rotifers yet -- they may eat the phyto too quickly and then they'd just starve and die.
So we'll have to see how my food supplies are going before I am able to commit to the latest batch of eggs for sure.
mng777777
Shark Wrangler Wannabe
I hope the food works out! I am excited to see a whole clutch of baby clowns
dcantucson
Reef pro
Biff how long before they are ready to hatch? How exciting!
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Unfortunately, I've only got about a week before they hatch :(
I ordered my rotifers in egg form (as opposed to live) to save money (eggs were a fraction of the cost of live rotifers). The downside is that the eggs take 2 to 3 additional days to hatch, whereas the live rotifers start reproducing immediately.
Hopefully the phyto growth will pick up here... I don't really know what else I can be doing to speed it up. I don't think that adding the extra phyto food would have inhibited growth, so I don't think that was a problem. I know my light is okay, and my air is okay, so I'm not quite sure.
The only thing I can think of is maybe the phyto froze during shipping and that killed some of them off? I know we had really abnormally low temps that week all across the country.
I ordered my rotifers in egg form (as opposed to live) to save money (eggs were a fraction of the cost of live rotifers). The downside is that the eggs take 2 to 3 additional days to hatch, whereas the live rotifers start reproducing immediately.
Hopefully the phyto growth will pick up here... I don't really know what else I can be doing to speed it up. I don't think that adding the extra phyto food would have inhibited growth, so I don't think that was a problem. I know my light is okay, and my air is okay, so I'm not quite sure.
The only thing I can think of is maybe the phyto froze during shipping and that killed some of them off? I know we had really abnormally low temps that week all across the country.
mng777777
Shark Wrangler Wannabe
maybe its the airstone???
Bifferwine
I am a girl
I don't know. About half the sites I read said to use an airstone, the other half didn't. The foam produced by the airstone supposedly can trap phyto, but mine aren't really making any foam, and I don't think that would impact the growth in the rest of the bottle....
I read that it can take up to 10 days to get full growth of the phytoplankton, and I'm a week or less in (I think), so maybe I'm just being too impatient.
I read that it can take up to 10 days to get full growth of the phytoplankton, and I'm a week or less in (I think), so maybe I'm just being too impatient.
mng777777
Shark Wrangler Wannabe
I think you are on to something with your latest theory there Bifferino :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
U4BOYZ
Got Fish?
A week? I can't wait a WEEK!!! I'm dying to see photos!!!
Picasso
Seahorse Whisperer
Biff, what about picking up a bottle of DT's? That should get you through the beginning. Your rotifiers shouldn't go through that much food, I've got a tank of tigger pods that I'm growing and I only put in a few drops of phyto a day. What kind of roti's you doing? I'll look them up in my wicked awesome culturing book I just got.
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Oscarsdad608
Reef enthusiast
You are on the right track Biff. The phyto takes a little while to get going. once it kicks in it takes no time at all to grow. The rotifer goes through phyto like you would not believe. I think this batch maybe to soon for you but good practice. The only other thing I can think of was to make sure you grow the phyto above the rotifer, People sad it was easier to not cross contaminate this way. I gave up growing the rotifers for my sps because I go a few rotifer in my phyto and they ate it all in no time.
bjohanson1234
.........
Maybe add another light strip in there?
But looking good biff:Cheers:
But looking good biff:Cheers:
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Yeah, I have read about that. One drop of rotifers can turn your entire phyto bottle into a rotifer bottle in a matter of hours!!
I'm not going to try and save this batch if I am not certain that I have enough food ready for them.
I may end up doing that. That light cost $6 or something. Thanks for the idea.
I was doing some research on this topic, because I am planning to do the same in the next month or so.
Something that might makes this process easier for you is a product called Rotifer Diet. Reed Mariculture - Rotifer Production Systems
I read somewhere a single bottle would keep you in business for months. Would save you from having to culture your own Rotifer foods.
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I also read that you can get the fry into their own tank easily at hatching time by waiting for the little silver eye to appear in the eggs(That indicated a hatching at the next 'nighttime'.) Then when you are ready to hatch simply turn out the lights and get the room as dark as possible to simulate night time. Then use a light to lure the adults away from the fry, once they hatch siphon the fry out.
That was all stuff from reading forums and such so do your own research, thought I'd throw that bit of info here, since you have more experience and can maybe improve on that a bit or something.
Goodluck!
Something that might makes this process easier for you is a product called Rotifer Diet. Reed Mariculture - Rotifer Production Systems
I read somewhere a single bottle would keep you in business for months. Would save you from having to culture your own Rotifer foods.
.....
I also read that you can get the fry into their own tank easily at hatching time by waiting for the little silver eye to appear in the eggs(That indicated a hatching at the next 'nighttime'.) Then when you are ready to hatch simply turn out the lights and get the room as dark as possible to simulate night time. Then use a light to lure the adults away from the fry, once they hatch siphon the fry out.
That was all stuff from reading forums and such so do your own research, thought I'd throw that bit of info here, since you have more experience and can maybe improve on that a bit or something.
Goodluck!
yote
In Memoriam
Biff,Catherines got the right idea.Pick up a bottle of DTs Phyto.It'll at least help until your home grown green water gets going good.
U4BOYZ
Got Fish?
Where are the babies already????? :question: Geesh!!!! I'm growing impatient! PHOTOS!!! :goldfish:
Bifferwine
I am a girl
They are still wrapped up in their little eggs. And my food is growing too slow to save this batch, I think... :(
mng777777
Shark Wrangler Wannabe
You can do it!
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
Here's a tip from Sanjay, who's been breeding his hybrid Photon clowns for Divers Den. Buy the instant phyto from Reef Nutrition to feed your rotifers.
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